A rhythmic clicking when you turn out of a junction or into a car park space is one of the most recognisable noises a car makes, and it nearly always means a worn CV joint. Caught early it is a modest repair. Left alone it can end with a failed driveshaft and a car that will not move. Here is what CV joints and driveshafts do, the symptoms to listen for, what the repair typically costs in the UK, and where a warranty fits in.
What do CV joints and driveshafts do?
The driveshafts carry power from the gearbox to the wheels. On a front-wheel-drive car, which is most cars in the UK, there is one for each front wheel. Because those wheels also steer and move up and down with the suspension, each driveshaft has a flexible joint at each end called a constant velocity (CV) joint. It lets the shaft keep turning smoothly at the same speed while the angle changes.
The outer CV joint, next to the wheel, works at the sharpest angles because it handles steering as well as suspension movement, so it is the one that usually wears out first. The inner CV joint, next to the gearbox, moves through smaller angles and fails less often.
Each joint is packed with grease and sealed by a rubber or plastic concertina called a CV boot. The boot is the weak point. Once it splits, the grease is flung out and road grit gets in, and a healthy joint can be worn out within months.
Rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive cars have driveshafts too, plus a propshaft running down the middle of the car. The principles are the same, but four-wheel-drive cars have more joints to go wrong and usually cost more to repair.
Symptoms of a worn CV joint or driveshaft
- Clicking or popping when turning. The classic sign of a worn outer CV joint. It is loudest on full lock at low speed, for example in a car park, and on the side opposite to the direction you are turning.
- Knocking or clunking when you pull away or change direction, often from a worn inner joint.
- Vibration under acceleration that eases when you lift off. This can come from a worn inner joint or a bent driveshaft.
- Grease on the inside of the wheel or on the suspension, a sure sign of a split boot.
- A split or torn boot spotted at a service or MOT. A split boot is an MOT advisory or failure depending on its condition.
Some of these noises overlap with other faults. Knocks over bumps are more often suspension (drop links, bushes or a broken spring; see our suspension repair cost guide), and a humming that rises with speed is more often a wheel bearing. A garage can tell the difference in a few minutes on a ramp.
Is it safe to drive with a bad CV joint?
A joint that has only just started clicking will usually carry on for a while, but it will not get better, and the end of the road is not gentle. When a CV joint or driveshaft fails completely, drive stops reaching that wheel and the car will not move, often at a junction or roundabout where you are turning. In rarer cases a broken shaft can flail and damage the brake lines, the gearbox seal or the bodywork around it.
The practical advice is to get a clicking joint checked within a few weeks, and to treat a loud clunk, a new vibration or a sudden loss of drive as a reason to stop and call for recovery. If the only problem is a split boot and the joint is still quiet, replace the boot quickly and you may save the joint.
CV joint and driveshaft replacement cost in the UK
These are estimated ranges for independent garages in the UK, including parts, labour and VAT. Main dealer prices are usually higher, and larger, four-wheel-drive and premium cars sit at the top of each range.
| Repair | Typical UK cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CV boot replacement (one side) | £80–£200 | Only worth doing if the joint is still quiet. Includes cleaning and fresh grease. |
| Outer CV joint (one side) | £150–£350 | Joint, boot kit and labour. Many garages now fit a whole shaft instead. |
| Complete driveshaft, small or medium car | £200–£450 | Comes with both joints and boots fitted. Often the quickest fix. |
| Complete driveshaft, SUV, premium or 4x4 | £350–£700 | Higher part prices and more labour. |
| Propshaft or centre bearing (RWD and 4x4) | £300–£1,200 | Varies widely by car. |
| Driveshaft oil seal at the gearbox | £100–£250 | Often replaced at the same time as a shaft. |
Labour is usually one to two hours per side on a typical front-wheel-drive car. If one side has gone, it is worth asking the garage to look at the boot on the other side while the car is on the ramp; both sides have done the same mileage.
Joint, boot or the whole shaft?
A few years ago most garages replaced just the worn joint. Today many fit a complete new or reconditioned driveshaft instead, because the part often costs little more than a quality joint kit, it saves labour, and it comes with new joints and boots at both ends. On a high-mileage car that is usually the better value.
Ask what is being fitted. A cheap unbranded shaft can start clicking again within a year. A recognised brand or a reconditioned original shaft with a warranty of its own is the safer choice, and the price difference is usually small compared with paying for the labour twice.
What wears CV joints out early?
- A split boot left unrepaired. The single biggest cause. Ask for the boots to be checked at every service.
- Potholes and kerbs. Heavy impacts can split boots and bend shafts.
- Lowered suspension or larger wheels, which run the joints at angles they were not designed for.
- Hard launches and wheelspin, especially on powerful front-wheel-drive cars.
- Age and mileage. Rubber boots perish over time, and many cars need a joint or shaft somewhere past 80,000–100,000 miles.
CV joints, driveshafts and the MOT
The MOT tester checks the driveshafts, joints and boots on every car. A boot that is split or missing so that the joint is exposed to dirt is a failure, and so is excessive play in a joint or a damaged shaft. A boot that is merely perished or slightly split is usually an advisory. Fixing an advisory boot straight away is the cheapest repair in this whole guide; leaving it until the next MOT often turns an £80–£200 job into a £200–£450 one. Our list of the most common MOT failures has the rest.
Does a car warranty cover CV joints and driveshafts?
It depends on the policy and on what failed. Driveshafts and CV joints are mechanical parts, and many mechanical breakdown warranties include them in their list of covered components when they fail suddenly. The boots, though, are rubber parts that perish with age, and are normally treated as wear items. A joint that has worn out gradually because a split boot was ignored is also likely to be treated as wear and tear rather than a breakdown. Our guide to wear and tear explains how that line is usually drawn.
Always check the What Is Covered schedule for your own policy rather than assuming. With ClearPath, eligible claims are covered up to £3,000 per claim, including parts, labour and VAT, with labour up to £100 an hour, a £100 excess and no limit on the number of eligible claims. The garage must contact us and get authorisation before work starts, and cover includes recovery up to £60 after a covered breakdown, within the claim limit.
On its own, a single driveshaft is not usually the repair that makes a warranty worthwhile. The case for cover rests on the bigger bills it sits alongside on an older car, such as a clutch, a gearbox or a turbo.
The bottom line
A clicking noise on full lock is a worn outer CV joint until proven otherwise. Expect roughly £150–£450 to put it right on most cars, and up to £700 on larger and four-wheel-drive models. The cheapest fix of all is a new boot as soon as a split is spotted. Do not leave a clicking joint until it fails, and stop if it starts clunking or the car loses drive. To see what cover costs for your car, get an instant quote.
